2 Coloradans now playing college golf as freshmen, CU’s Hunter Swanson and Mines’ Max Lange, advance to match play at U.S. Four-Ball; last year’s finalists, former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz and Drew Kittleson, also in final 32
By Gary Baines – 5/21/2023
It’s been a big week on the golf course for Denver resident Hunter Swanson.
On Wednesday, the freshman not only helped the University of Colorado men’s golf program qualify a full team for the NCAA Division I national championships for the first time since 2002, but he led the Buffs at the Norman, Okla., Regional by tying for 11th place. Swanson and his CU teammates will begin play at the national tournament on Friday in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Then this weekend, the three-time Colorado boys junior player of the year teamed with Max Lange of Golden, a freshman on the Colorado School of Mines golf team, to qualify for match play at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Kiawah Island, S.C.
The top 32 teams after 36 holes of stroke play — out of 128 that started the week — earned spots in Monday’s opening round of match play.
Also making match play were last year’s finalists, reinstated amateurs Drew Stoltz and Drew Kittleson from Scottsdale, Ariz. Stoltz, who grew up in Fort Collins and won the 2001 5A state high school individual title and the 2004 CGA Amateur, has gained some fame as a co-host of “Gravy and the Sleeze” on Sirius XM’s PGA Tour Radio and the “Golf Subpar” podcast.
Swanson and Lange backed up a first-round 65 with a 3-under best-ball 68 on Sunday — despite three bogeys — which left them at 9 under overall and in 27th place.
Meanwhile, Kittleson recorded five birdies on his own and Stoltz added one as they carded a 6-under 65 on Sunday en route to a 10-under total, good for 22nd place in stroke play.
The match play round of 32 will be conducted on Monday, followed by the round of 16 and the quarterfinals on Tuesday, and the semifinals and final on Wednesday.
Scores of teams with strong Colorado connections at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball in Kiawah Island, S.C.:
Advance to Match Play
22. Former Coloradan Drew Stoltz/Drew Kittleson 67-65—132
27. Hunter Swanson, Denver/Maxwell Lange, Golden 65-68–133
Failed to Advance to Match Play
57. Michael Harrington, CO Springs/Dylan Wonnacott, Loveland 66-71–137
57. Brendan Connolly, Centennial/Benjamin Dubois, Denver 72-65–137
For all the scores from Kiawah Island, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. He was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com